How to Correctly Jump Start a Vehicle Yourself if Your Car Won’t Start

The best part is the process is pretty easy, as there are different ways to go about it. If you discover your car’s battery has died, do not panic. Instead, follow the steps discussed in this article to dissolve all your worries.

Different Ways to Jump-Starting a Car Alone

The push-start method is the easiest and most common method to jump-start a car. Switch on your vehicle’s ignition and set your car on gear 2. After this, find someone to assist in pushing the vehicle until it speeds up, and then release your car’s clutch pedal to make the transmission easy and turn the engine to the turning point. Sadly, such a procedure best works on vehicle switch manual transmission. However, you can go through this process by using jump-starting cables and still succeed without professional help.

Jump Starting With Cables

If you find yourself in a situation whereby you can only start your car with cables, here is how it’s done:

Step 1: Inspect the Batteries

Never connect two cars without inspecting the batteries to ensure there are no signs of damage. If your car terminals seem damaged or there is acid build-up around the battery, it indicates you need a new battery. In such a case, replace the battery instead of trying to jump-start your vehicle. However, if you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, be cautious when connecting your vehicle to another car.

What If The Battery Is Swollen?

If your car’s battery looks swollen beyond its regular dimensions, you might have a bigger problem, and it is the right time to cancel your plans if you are headed out of the house. The majority of vehicle batteries have water and sulfuric acid, and it gets to a point where the liquid’s potency weakens and becomes water. It means the water can expand and freeze quickly. Therefore, if you suspect your car won’t start due to a frozen battery, avoid jump-starting it.

Step 2: Identify a Car with a Good Battery

Many individuals have experienced the struggles of a dead car battery. So, do not be afraid to ask for help from strangers, as many are willing to help. If you just discovered your car battery is dead in your parking lot or a mall, identify someone who is more than ready to assist you in jump-starting the vehicle.

Step 3: Park the Cars Closely

Once the vehicles are parked close to one another, where you can easily make a connection, shut off both vehicles. Leaving the car with a dead battery ignition on will cause more problems, making the process difficult. Open the hoods and ensure they are appropriately propped on both vehicles.

Step 4: Connect the Cables

After parking the cars and ensuring they are turned off, connect the cables. Start by taking one of the positive lead cables, marked in either orange or red, and connect them to the positive terminal of your battery. Then, take the remaining positive (+) side and connect it to the positive terminal of the good battery. Select one lead negative jumper cable marked in black in most cases and connect it to the negative terminal on the perfect car battery. Your remaining negative jump lead should go to the ground point on the dead battery car and if you cannot find it, put it straight to the negative (-) battery terminal. Ensure all four connections are correctly connected to avoid any of the connectors popping off once you bump into either car’s batteries.

Step 5: Leave the Batteries for a While

Once you have connected the wires correctly, start the vehicle with a good battery and leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes. The alternator in the car with a good battery will charge your flat battery. To see if the process was successful, start the vehicle with the dead battery, and if everything is alright, it will start immediately.

Conclusion

As one of the leading shipping companies in the country, we are SAC ready to assist you in moving your vehicle from one area to the next. We post a couple of articles on our website on how to jump-start your car and other helpful tips that will assist you if you find yourself stuck in the future. With the step-by-step procedures provided above, it will be easy for you to jump-start your vehicle the next time you find yourself stuck. These life hacks will ensure you are not stranded waiting for mechanics to get to your location, thus allowing you to carry on with your day.